Coupler operating device



Dec. 27, 1966 L. F. MANYEK COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 5, 1963 INVENTOR Leonard/F Manye/r BY f ATTORNEY Dec. 27, 1966 L. F. MANYEK COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 5

ATTORNEY Dec. 27, 1966 F. MANYEK COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 5. 1963 INVENTOR Wm y R M O M w 5% 0 7, 1966 1.. F. MANYEK 3,294,253

COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 5, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 us no 10s 86 i as A! 90 f -117 J INVENTOR Leonard/:Manyek ATTORNEY United States Patent f 3,294,253 COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE Leonard F. Manyek, Lansing, IlL, assignor to Stanray Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 321,622

6 Claims. ((11. 2I3166) This invention relates to railway car coupler operating mechanisms. More specifically, the invention relates to an operating lever comprising a plurality of parts for operating the coupler upon rotation of the lever and to a bracket attached to the striker housing for supporting the inner end of an intermediate part.

To reduce damage to lading carried by railroad cars, there has been developed various underframe cushioning arrangements for such cars which would have little or no recoil and which would allow a considerable amount of travel of the car body relative to the underframe at all impact speeds, thereby to better protect the commodities carried within the car.

Couplers installed in this type of draft gear arrangement have been made to move forward and backward in relation to the car end a greater and greater distance. In the ordinary draft gear arrangement, couplers move some 7 inches or so, but with the various cushioning arrangements, the couplers move some 48" as in the first modification of the invention, or some 65 /8" as in the second modification. Furthermore, couplers are now made with varying shank lengths and this means greater side swing of the couplers when cars are rounding clrves.

Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a coupler operating lever for a bottom operated coupler mounted in a cushion underframe construction which will be operable with as many variations of coupler movement as possible. When the coupler is in extreme buff position left, the oeprating lever must be able to contract to about 26" and when the coupler is in extreme draft position right, the operating lever must be able to extend to as much as 47" or so, and in extreme cases to as much as 97".

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof:

Referring now to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of one form of the invention showing in full lines the normal draft position of the coupler and indicating in dotted lines the full buff and full draft positions of the coupler.

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 3 is a front view of FIG. 1.

FIGURE 4 is an end view of FIG. 3.

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 6 is a section on the line 66 of FIG. 5.

FIGURE 7 is a front view of FIG. 5.

FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 are sections on the lines 88, 99 and iii-10, respectively, of FIG. 7.

In the drawings and referring first to the modification shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, It) indicates the end of the car to which the device is applied, and 12 indicates the striker which is a part of the sliding sill, which, in turn, i resiliently mounted in the car center sill, the main supporting member of the car body. The coupler, indicated in dotted lines at 13, is assembled in and attached to the sliding center sill of the car. The inner end of the coupler shank is attached to the cushioning medium as is common so as to cushion movements of the car body relative thereto. Thus the coupler has limited relative movement with the striker, and the striker has limited relative movement with the car body.

3,294,253- Patented Dec. 27, 1966 The inner end of the coupler operating device is formed into a hook for attachment to the lock lifter of the coupler, and the outer end of said device is mounted in a bracket attached to the car end. It is therefore obvious that the operating device must be constructed so as to compensate for the above mentioned long travel and wide side swing of couplers mounted in a cushion underframe.

The operating device, shown in FIGURES 1 to 4, for such couplers is formed in three parts, an inner part 14, an intermediate part 15, and an outer or handle part 16. The bracket for mounting the outer part of the device to the car is shown generally at 18. This bracket mem her is of Z shape having a vertical rectangular flange 20 which is riveted or otherwise secured to the end of the car. Issuing normally from the lower edge of flange 20 is a horizontal portion 22' which terminates at its outer edge in a downturned arcuate' flange 24. The outer edge of horizontal portion 22 is preferably inclined to the end of the car as clearly shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, al' though in certain instances it may be parallel to the end of the car.

A bracing gusset 26 is fixed between flanges 20 and 22 of the bracket for strength and stability.

At the outer margin of the flange 22 is mounted the ends of a U-shaped clevis 28 by riveting, welding, or other means of securing the same thereto. The .bend in the clevis is positioned so as to extend over the edge of flange 22 and form, with said edge, an eye having a vertical axis, as clearly seen in FIGURES 1 and 4.

The outer or handle part 16 of the operating device or uncoupling lever comprises a section of rod which is bent intermediate of its ends so as to form an eye 30 having a substantially horizontal axis. This handle is mounted in the clevis to pivot therein, and one end of the rod section is formed into a handle 32 which depends from the eye 30. The other end of the rod section below the eye 30 is turned laterally toward the coupler forming a straight section 34. To reinforce the straight section 34, there is provided another short section of rod 36 equal in length to the straight section 34 and sections 36 and 34 are welded together along meeting peripheral lines, as shown in FIG. 3.

The intermediate part 15 of the device when on a car is substantially horizontally disposed and comprises an elongated hairpin-like section consisting of two rods 38 and 40 which are parallel and connected at their outer ends by a U-bend 42. The inner end of rod 40 is turned laterally as at 44 and butt-welded to the side of rod 38, adjacent its end. The inner end of rod 38 extends beyond portion 44 and has a downturned hook 46 formed on the end thereof.

The outer vertical face 48 of the striker is cut away so that another clevis 50, identical to clevis 28, may be mounted on the side wall 52 of the striker in a manner that the bend of the clevis will project outwardly beyond the striker face 48 and permit the hook 46 of the' rod 38 to be mounted therein and be supported thereby.

At the inner end of the rod sections 34 and 36 of handle part 16 there is a U-shaped clip 54 which surrounds the sections 38 and 40 and the free ends of which overlap the sides of sections 34 and 36 and are welded thereto. Between the sides of the clip 54 and located in the space between rod sections 38 and 40 is mounted an anti-friction roller 56. Outwardly of the clip 54 is another identical U-shaped clip 58 which surrounds the spaced rod sections 38 and 4t) and the free end margins of which overlap and are secured as by welding to rod sections 34 and 36. Between the sides of this clip 58 and also in the space between the rod sections 38 and 40 is mounted an antifriction roller 60. Thus any movement of the intermediate part 15 relative to the handle part 16 will roll on the anti-friction rollers 56 and 60. The inner end of the intermediate part is supported by the clevis 50, the handle part is supported by the clevis 28, and the overlapping portions are telescopically joined as just described.

The lock lifter of the coupler is indicated at 62 and counterclockwise movement of the lock lifter will operate the coupler. To provide this rotary movement, the inner part 14 of the device is provided. This part at its inner end comprises a book 64 which is hooked into the lock lifter 62 (see FIG. 4). From this hook outwardly, part 14 angles around the face of the striker and its outer end is provided with an upturned portion forming an elongated eye 66 which surrounds the intermediate part 15 rather closely so as to be non-rotatable therewith. Eye 66 can slide and angle on said intermediate part in response to longitudinal and sidewise movements of the coupler in the striker.

Thus it is apparent that when the device is mounted on a car as described and counterclockwise rotation is imparted to the handle 32, the clips 54 and 58 will be likewise rotated which will similarly move the intermediate part 15, and this will correspondingly move the inner part 14, which in turn will lift the lock lifter and uncouple the coupler.

It is also apparent that longitudinal movements of the striker are compensated for by the telescoping relationship of the lever portions 15 and 16, and that lateral and longitudinal movements of the couper relative to the ship of the lever portions 14 and 15.

In cases where there is extreme longitudinal movement of the coupler, as for example where it may move relatively with the striker some /2" and at the same time swing laterally in relation to the striker some 15 or so, I have devised the modification shown in FIGURES 5 to 10.

In these figures the end of the car is shown at and the striker of the car at 72. The coupler is shown in dotted lines at 73 and the relative location of the lock lifter ofthe coupler in several possible positions of the coupler is indicated by the circles 74, FIGURE 5.

The coupler operating device of this modification comprises a bracket indicated generally at 76 which is attached to the car end and supports the outer end of the operating device. A mounting place for the bracket is provided, it comprising an angle-shaped member having a horizontal flange 78 which is secured in any desired manner to the bottom of the end sill of the car adjacent a corner thereof. The outer edge of the flange 78 is turned downwardly forming a rectangular vertical flange 80 which extends normally from the flange 78. Extending normally from the rear face of flange 80 is a gusset plate 81 to stiifen flange 80. The bracket 76, for supporting the outer end of the operating device, comprises a rectangular vertical flange 82 which is secured to the lower end of the flange 80 of the mounting bracket.

A horizontal flange 83 issues outward-1y from the lower edge of the flange 82 and the outer edge is turned downwardly into a relatively short arcuate flange 84 forming a stop for the handle, and preventing clockwise rotation thereof.

Upon flange 83 are mounted the ends of a U-shaped clevis 85, which clevis is secured on flange 83 so that the bend of the clevis extends over the edge of the flange 82, forming with flange 84 an eye therein on a vertical axis. See FIG. 5.

The coupler operating device comprises a plurality of parts, the outer or handle part 86, an inner or coupler operating part 92, a channel-shaped intermediate part 88, and a hairpin-shaped intermediate part 90.

The handle part 86 comprises a round rod which is formed into a depending handle 94, at the upper end of which the rod is bent into an eye 96, which encircles the clevis through the eye therein and by which the outer end of the handle part is pivotally supported. The

striker are compensated for by the telescoping relation- 4 rod extends downwardly for a short distance and is then turned laterally in a straight section 98 extending about half the distance to the center line of the car, where it is formed into a U-bend 100, and another straight section 102 extending toward the handle in slightly spaced parallel relation to straight section 98. Adjacent the handle end, section 102 is turned to the section 98 and is buttwelde-d thereto as at 105. Thus the handle or power part 94 comprises a pair of parallel rods connected by a U-bend, with one of said rods extending upthrough the eye and around the bend in the clevis and then down in the form of a handle by which the device is manually operated.

The intermediate lever comprises a pair of rods 104 and 106 which are spaced slightly from each other, identical, in fact, to the spacing of rods 98 and 102, but somewhat longer. The inner end of rod 104 is formed into a hook 108 for purposes hereinafter described and the opposite ends of rods 104 and 106 are connected by a U-bend 101. The inner end of rod 106 is turned laterally to rod 104 and is butt-welded thereto as at 111. Thus the rods 104-106 are maintained in spaced parallel relation in the form of an elongated loop, which overlaps in side by side relation the loop formed by the rods 98-102.

A rectangular plate 180 is welded to the side of the striker 72 at a lower outer corner thereof so as to project downwardly therefrom, as clearly seen in FIG. 6. To this plate is secured the ends of a clevis 182 similar in all respects to the clevis 85. The bend in the clevis projects outwardly from plate 180 so that the extending portion forms, with the edge of the plate, an eye, the axis of which is parallel to the general axis of the coupler operating device. The downturned or hooked end 108 of rod 104 extends through the eye of this clevis which supports the inner end of the intermediate section 104-106 of the device.

Between these two pairs of rods 104-106 and 98-102 is a second intermediate part 88 which comprises an elongated channel-shaped member 88, the web 110 of which is disposed in the plane between the two pairs of rods and the flanges of which extends over and under the rods 98 and 102, as clearly shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10. This channel faces toward the end of the car, and is free moving between the pairs of rods within the limits hereinafter described. Two narrow channel-shaped clips 112 and 114 are provided, the webs of which are disposed vertically adjacent the rods 104 and 106 with the flanges extending thereover and thereunder and overlapping the flanges of intermediate member 88, and being secured thereto as by welding or the like. There is of course sufficient clearance between the webs of clips 112-114 and member 88 to provide free movement of the channel member 88. Thus the rods 104-106 extend between the web 110 and webs of clips 112 and 114. Extending between the web of clip 112 and web 110 is a bolt on which is mounted an anti-friction roller 116 disposed intermediate of rods 104-106 so that when said rod section 106-106 or channel section 88 (with clip 112 secured thereto) move relative to each other the roller 116 will provide ease of movement of said sections. It is noted that in this area the roller rolls on rod 106.

Spaced outwardly a short distance from clip 112 is another similar channel-shaped clip 114, the web of which is disposed in parallel spaced relation to the web 110. The flanges of this clip 114 also overlap and underlap the rod section 104 and 106, and said flanges also overlap and underlap the flanges of channel section 88, and are secured thereto in any desired manner as by welding. See FIG. 9. The channel portion 88 and the channel clips 112 and 114 all face toward the car on which the device is mounted.

At the same location on the device as the clip 114 is another similar outwardly facing :clip 118 which faces section 88. The flanges of this clip 118 overlap and underlap the flanges of the intermediate portion 88 and are secured thereto as by welding. This clip 118 encloses the rods 98 and 102 of the handle section 86 of the device. A substantially square filler piece 113 is secured to the inner face of the web 110 of intermediate section 88 so as to keep the bend 100 of rods 98 and 102 from contacting the bolt head of the bolt holding roller 116 when the sections are extending to accommodate draft movement of the coupler.

A bolt 117 extends through axially alined holes in the Web of clip 114 and Webs 110 and 120 as shown in FIG. 9. On this bolt 117, between clip 114 and web 110 is an antifriction roller 116' on which rod 104 rolls. Between the filler piece 113 and Web 120 on bolt 117 is another antifriction roller 122 on which rod 98 rolls. It will be remembered that the intermediate channel section 88 is free to move between and relative to the handle section comprising rods 98-102 and the intermediate section comprising rods 104-106, and that as the striker moves outwardly from the car, the section 104406 moves outwardly therewith and telescopes relative to the handle section 86 and other intermediate section 88.

It will be noted that the rods 104-106 of intermediate part 90 are offset intermediate their ends as shown at 107 (see FIG. and therefore when the parts are contracted as in an extreme buff position, the clip 116 could bind at the offset area 107. Therefore a small rectangular stop 109 is positioned between the rods just outwardly of the offset portion 107. Stop 109 is a small formed strip of metal, welded or otherwise secured at opposite ends to the rods 104-106. Thus the stop will effectively prevent the intermediate section 88 from moving into the offset area 107 where it would bind when the device contracts to accommodate buff position of the coupler because the roller 116 would contact said stop 109.

The purpose of the offset portion is to provide a space between the handle section 86 and the intermediate section 90 when the coupler travels from draft to bufi" position.

Finally at the outer end of the intermediate section 88 there is another narrow channel-shaped clip 124 identical to and facing outwardly in the same direction as the clip 118. The flanges of clip 124 also overlap and underlap the rods 98 and 102 and also the flanges of the intermediate channel section 88 as shown in FIG. 10. Fixed to the inner face of the web 110 is another filler piece 113'. Axially alined holes are provided through web 110, filler piece 113' and web 126 of clip 124 so that bolt 127 may extend through said alined holes. The hole in web 110 is larger than the other holes, so that the head of bolt 127 may enter the same and bear against the face of filler piece 113', thereby not interfering with U-bend 101 and allowing it to pass over sad bolt head.

On bolt 117, between the filler piece 113 and web 120, is an anti-friction roller 122, located between rods 98 and 102 and on which roller rod 98 rolls when the parts move relative to each other.

The distance between the rods in all instances is the same as the longest diameter of the rollers, so that the rollers may be inserted laterally between the rods to proper position. This leaves a lttle clearance between the rollers and rods and provides easier movement of the parts.

Each of the rollers has a stainless steel bushing surrounding the bolt, and between the bushing and roller is a Teflon sleeve which provides a roller mounting with a minimum of friction. The stainless steel sleeves are slightly longer than the width of the rollers so that the bolts may be tightened without fear of the webs impingmounted in a cushion underframe arrangement, wherein the coupler has unusually long travel and wide side swing. When the handle portion is operated to cause the device to orbit counterclockwise about the pivotal point of the handle, it will translate this motion to the hook, which in turn so actuates the locklifter in uncoupling the coupler.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred structure of the invention, it is conceivable that the rod sections 15, 16, or 86 may be formed of rectangular tubing instead of spaced parallel rods, in which event the rollers would roll on the edges of the tubing. Other variations of structure may also be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. An uncoupling lever for car couplers comprising a plurality of parts, one of said parts comprising a pair of parallel rods, one of said rods having an eye formed therein providing means for pivotal mounting of said part adjacent the corner of a car end, a handle extending from said eye substantially normally to the axis of said rod, a coupler operating part having a hook at one end for attachment to the lock lifter of a car coupler, and an elongated eye at the other end, and an intermediate part comprising a pair of spaced parallel rods formed into an elongated loop, the ends of which loop overlap the adjacent ends of the handle part and the coupler operating part, means non-rotatably and slidably connecting the overlapped portions of the handle part and intermediate part, said eye of the coupler part encircling the overlapped portion of the intermediate part to provide a non-rotatable sliding connection thereto and permit angling of said respective parts, the inner end of said intermediate part terminating in means for attachment to a coupler striker for rotatably supporting same.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, and a bracket attachable to a car end, a clevis on said bracket for rotatably supporting said otfset eye of said handle part.

3. The structure set forth in claim 1 and stirrups supported by said parallel rods of the handle part and nonrotatably encircling the outer margin of said intermedi ate part permitting the intermediate part to angle and non-rotatably slide in said stirrups.

4. The structure set forth in claim 1, said intermediate part extending from its attachment to the striker to substantially the corner of the car, to permit substantial travel of the coupler operating part and said intermediate part relative to each other.

5. The structure set forth in claim 1, said intermediate part comprising a plurality of portions slidably and nonrotatably connected together.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5 wherein the inner end of the innermost intermediate portion is pivotally supported by the coupler striker and non-rotatably connected to the outer end of said inner portion, the outer end of another intermediate portion is non-rotatably connected to the outer portion, and the other ends of said intermediate portions are slidably and non-rotatably connected together so that rotary motion imparted by the handle will be translated therefrom through the respective portions to the lock lifter of the coupler.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED 'STATES PATENTS 8/1944 Metzger 213-161 4/1964 Lahey 213-166 

1. AN UNCOUPLING LEVER FOR CAR COUPLERS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF PARTS, ONE OF SAID PARTS COMPRISING A PAIR OF PARALLEL RODS, ONE OF SAID RODS HAVING AN EYE FORMED THEREIN PROVIDING MEANS FOR PIVOTAL MOUNTING OF SAID PART ADJACENT THE CORNER OF A CAR END, A HANDLE EXTENDING FROM SAID EYE SUBSTANTIALLY NORMALLY TO THE AXIS OF SAID ROD, A COUPLER OPERATING PART HAVING A HOOK AT ONE END FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE LOCK FILTER OF A CAR COUPLER, AND AN ELONGATED EYE AT THE OTHER END, AND AN INTERMEDIATE PART COMPRISING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL RODS FORMED INTO AN ELONGATED LOOP, THE ENDS OF WHICH LOOP OVERLAP THE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE HANDLE PART AND THE COUPLER OPERATING PART, MEANS NON-ROTATABLY AND SLIDABLY CONNECTING THE OVERLAPPED PORTIONS OF THE HANDLE PART AND INTERMEDIATE PART, SAID EYE OF THE COUPLER PART ENCIRCLING THE OVERLAPPED PORTION OF THE INTERMEDIATE PART TO PROVIDE A NON-ROTATABLE SLIDING CONNECTION THERETO ND PERMIT ANGLING OF SAID RESPECTIVE PARTS, THE INNER END OF SAID INTERMEDIATE PART TERMINATING IN MEANS FOR ATTACHMENT TO A COUPLER STRIKER FOR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAME. 